Wisconsin - Family visit, deer hunt

It was good to be back in Wisconsin except for the cold. I have really become a wuss. This was my first time back to the US since arriving in Panama in late March, 2010. I immediately went to the farm with Dad to prepare for the deer hunt. We drove on newly-built trails which have opened up the access to different parts of the land. I familiarized myself with the locations of new deer hunting stands and sighted in my rifle. I also dug a pit with a backhoe to bury the remains of the deer later on. Dug through my belongings in storage and it was like Christmas. When I came to Panama, I brought the bare essentials because I had no idea if I would stay long or not. Now that I'm established, it makes sense to bring more things like camping gear, tools, clothes, books, etc.

I got my car out of storage and drove to Madison to visit Andy who has been very busy with school and preparing for interviews. I left the next morning and went to Mom's house. We went out to dinner for Sushi (the first I've had since leaving) and had a nice time. My Mom has discovered The Office and has been watching episodes back to back. When the theme music comes on, she does this little humming, hand-slapping dance thing which is quite strange...even the dogs look at her with uncertainty. But it is a great show, and it makes her happy, so I'll let it go :) We went to visit Grandma and had lunch the next day. She is doing well considering being 93 and it's always good to see her.

I went to the climbing gym and got a month membership. It has been at least a month since I'd been climbing in Panama because of rain so I wasn't in the best of shape, but I was still shocked at how hard the climbs were compared to the ratings. I bought a new pair of shoes and climbed there almost every day for my entire 3-week trip home.

It came time for the annual deer hunt which I have been joking with people that I'd be out of the family if I did not attend. I arrived Friday afternoon and went out to dinner with Dad and Don at KK for a fishfry. The place was packed with hunters and we waited two hours for our food, but it was good. Joe and Andy arrived later that night. We got up at 5am and I was in my deer stand before light. I was so cold after one hour despite hand/foot warmers and heavy clothes. At noon, I met Andy at a chicken coop that he had recently remodeled. It has windows on all sides and we had a gas heater and stove inside so we warmed up and ate a huge can of beans each while continuing to hunt. Andy already had a doe and a nice 8-pointer so he headed back after lunch to see if anyone else had luck. If so, the hunt would be declared over because we only shoot what we are going to eat, and we only needed three this year. I hunted until dark and was picked up by Dad and Andy. Dad shot a deer too, so that was it for hunting. That night, they registered their deer at the DNR station and we prepared a much anticipated meal of squirrel, turkey, and morel mushroom pasta, or "Squirrelganoff" as we decided it would be called. Dad and Andy had been squirrel hunting earlier in the year and we needed to eat the little tree-rats...it was surprisingly good, especially with the morel mushrooms.

I went out the next day and saw a doe and fawn. It had warmed up a little so that was nice. On my way to a stand near the pond, I encountered a neighbor cow who charged me twice. Both times, I had to square up with it and advance agressively with my rifle held across my chest to make it stop. Maybe it was just trying to play, but the thought did cross my mind that I might need to shoot the bastard.

Demon cow.



Usually I see a lot of deer on opening day and this year I didn't see any. There is a lot of talk that the deer herds are way down, possibly because of DNR regulations of having to shoot a doe before a buck, and possibly because of the reintroduction of Wolves to WI, or a combo of both. No matter, to me it's all about spending time with the males of the family and carrying on a tradition.

This year, I stayed for butchering, something I always got out of in the past due to school or work obligations. I am glad I did it this year because it completes the whole hunting experience.

Hunting cabin interior.


Bunk room de los hermanos.


My buck from about 10 years ago.


Andy and Joe planning the next day's hunt.


The Master Chef of the group, Don.



The rest of the visit was a lot of fun getting to visit with friends and family. Thanksgiving Day, I went to Granny's with Mom, Andy, and Cousin Angela. Then, Andy and I went to Dad and Karen's for dinner. We worked out in between to make room to eat more. Hank came over with his two new dogs.

At the end of the trip, I was starting to miss Panama and my life there, especially my lady friend. It was nice to reflect on everything that has happened since the idea of Panama, and how things have come together. I returned with a renewed sense of motivation and direction. I feel like I am in the right place for this point in my life.